Shi Yan
Backstory As you obviously know by now, I am a Monk. I come from an old monastery where, like many other unwanted or lost children, I found myself before I can remember. Some time later, I was told what they knew of my family. I came from a line of Merchants and, as tends to happen, my parents were attacked on the road and I was picked up and taken in by those living at the monastery. I grew there, learning the way of life and studying the edicts of temple and along with my fellow disciples picked my line of study to focus my mind and hone my body. It was my home and I loved it as any child would their own. In my studies I directed my attentions toward the strengthening of the mind as I often found myself pondering deeper meanings to the world, looking into nature for clues. In my years of training I saw the older students and after hearing their stories and studying the natures of those that did the best in the outside world I came to the conclusion that it doesn't really matter what you do as long as your live long enough you will be able to grow strong and as such decided to study under a master that could teach me the methods of self defense and preservation of life. I began to grow strong enough that the elders started taking me along their trips outside the monastery to gain practical experiences and though I did not always come back unscathed I developed myself further than I ever could have otherwise. Those days were my favorite as I reminisce about my first experiences in seeing how strange and magical the world was. I learned quickly that I still had yet to see much of the world as darkness was set upon the land and more often everyday the elders were send out to quell the evil. They stopped taking the younger students with them and so I stayed behind and trained, seeing less and less of my old friends come home. I read some of the scrolls of history held in the monastery and learned that this rising of evil is just a customary thing and the world is constantly in the grips of a war between good and evil. I had always imagined the elders to be invincible as they performed feats so spectacular as to be completely otherworldly but... I was wrong. A group of the elders were sent out on a mission to defend a nearby town but none of them returned. My instructor was included in the group. I felt the day was coming where I would no longer be able to learn anything more from staying behind and it was then a stranger was brought onto the grounds. He was found injured and in some sort of stupor, incapable of communication and unable to perform self-care. I took it upon myself to help this man back to his feet and overtime he and I shared stories and told tales to one another, we became friends. My new friend, Zoran, and I decided that we would head off together, see what the world has to offer us.